Thanksgiving III ~

20-26 December:  This week I have been thankful for sunshine, beautiful on the snow covered landscape here in Cottonwood; for the delightful program that blessed us at our Sabbath gathering yesterday; and for these words from Isaiah 40:29,31: "He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. . . .Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint"; for positive messages that come by many avenues; for the decision to continue our Bible study through the holidays rather than waiting 'til after Christmas; and for this message from Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"- I'm thankful to call Him Savior and rightful Lord of my life; for the friendly and helpful folks I've met in our new hometown; for a home filled with sounds and smells of the Christmas season; and for the sure conviction that as the prophecies of the Child born in Bethlehem proved true, those that tell of His return will prove true as well - "In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:2,3); I'm thankful this snow-y morning that the growing-longer (and lon-n-nger) nights are over for this year; thankful for greetings from family and friends coming from all over; and thankful that the King whose birth we acknowledge this season lives and has given us these words to consider: ". . . after the persecution of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give light, and the stars will seem to fall from the heavens, and the powers overshadowing the earth will be convulsed. Then at last the signal of my coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning all around the earth. And the nations of the world will see me arrive in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And I shall send forth my angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they shall gather my chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven" (Matthew 24:29-31); I am thankful as I anticipate a family gathering of the folks from this house with my sis down in Riggins to celebrate this season of joy; for the greeting received  from a dear China friend - a student who's now in the U.S. and a practicing physician, married, and expecting (with his wife) a second little one; and for a favorite, frequently remembered passage from Jeremiah 31:3: "The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you"; for the delight of receiving messages and gifts from loved ones near and far; thankful for the delightful visit from new neighbors when they stopped in for a visit as they were caroling; and thankful for that GREATEST gift, the One we celebrate each Christmas - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16); for another Sabbath to observe the Creator's celebration of His finished work (Genesis 2:2,3); for this bright, blue-sky morning with sunlight sparkling from the icicles hanging above my window; and thankful for this message from Isaiah 58:13,14 (MSG): "If you watch your step on the Sabbath and don’t use my holy day for personal advantage, if you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy, God’s holy day as a celebration, if you honor it by refusing ‘business as usual,’ making money, running here and there— then you’ll be free to enjoy God!. . . ."